Thomas h



(Na Model.)

T. H. SEARS.

PURNAGE GRATE.

No. 394,545. Patented Deo. 11, 1888.

UHU'

WMM/aow@ N. FUERS. PhamL-lhogmphnr. Wnuungtm uc.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. SEARS, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOVILLIAM JOLLY, OF SAME PLACE.

FU RNACE-G RATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,545, dated December11, 1888,

Application filed June 29, 1888. Serial N0.2'78,574. (No model.)

To aZ whont it may concern:

Be it`known that I, THOMAS H. SEARS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Furnace-Grates, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings and letters of referencemarked io thereon.

My invention relates to furnace grates wherein the frames and bars areadjustable.

Heretofore many adjustable devices have been made but with some the adjustmentis difficult and the parts liable to become broken and warped soas to become inoperative.

The object of my invention is to simplify the construction and operationof adjustable furnace-grates and to provide an adjustable 2o devicewhich shall be of simple construction, easily operated, and not liableto become warped or broken, and also to provide a reversibleseparating-tooth for controlling the extent of separation of thegrate-bars, and a tooth to facilitate the holding of the ends of thegrate-bars which are set end to end in register with each other; and tothat end my invention consists in the construction and arrangementherein shown, whereby l accom- 3o plish these objects.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of referenceindicate like parts, Figure l is a sectional edge view of one of theadjustable standards or supports, taken through line fr, Fig. 2. Fig. 2is a side elevation of two of the adjustable supports or standardsadjustably secured together. Fig. 3 is aside view of one of thegrate-bars. Fig. 4 is a sectional end view of the saine. Fig. 5

4o is a plan view of the bearing-bars. Fig. 6 is a plan view of aportion of the grate complete, illustrating the relation of the parts,the separating-teeth being omitted. Fig. 7 is a side view, and Fig. 8 anend view, of the separating-teeth. Fig. 9 is a plan view of a'part ofthe grate, illustrating the relative position of the parts when thegrate-bars are set end to end; and Fig. 10 is a side view of the same.

In detail, ay indicates the fixed or stationary 5o portion of theadjustable support or leg; d,

the movable portion of the same; e, the adjustable side arms; f,bearing-bars upon which the gratebars rest; fi, the grate-bars, and jfingers or teeth which are rested bei ween the grate-bars. 5 5

The construction is as follows: To provide for varying the height of thegrate, and thus adapting the device to furnaces of different heights,the stationary parts of the legs u are provided with openings o, intowhich teeth or 6o projections p on the movable part d project, and theseopenings and teeth being downwardly inclined, as shown in Fig. l, will,when placed in position, remain as placed, and pressure upon the part (ltends to lock them more tightly together. No bolts or other fasteningmeans are therefore required.

Although teeth of like construction, as shown upon the movable part (l,may be used on the stationary part a and alike adjustment 7oaccomplished, l prefer that the teeth upon the stationary part shouldhave openii'igs between them extending through the part a, so thatashes, &e., will readily escape, and thus avoid the clogging' whichmight result upon a read- 75 justment of the parts were not thisclearance provided.

The bearing-bars rest upon the parts d, which are preferably providedwith projections b, between which the bearing-bars fit. 8o Thebearing-bars consist of either two or three parallel bars, of suitablesize, arranged a short distance apart and secured at their ends. Thestationary parts ct are provided with arms e, which project horizontallyat their sides, 8 5 and, lying together face to face, are held inposition by one or more nuts or screws passing through a slot in one andinto the other, thus allowing of the parts a being moved toward or fromeach other, as may be required 9o to adjust the same to the furnace.

The grate-bars L' are loose, each being independent of the other, andrest with their lower edges bearing upon the bearing-bars f. Thegrate-bars are tapering in oross-section,being thickest at the top. Thebars are separated the desired distance by the interposition of theteeth or fingers j, thestem of which rests upon the bearing-bars, andthe enlargements n, resting between the bearing-bars, prevent ioolongitudinal movement of the teeth. The projecting parts Z and m of theteeth are tapered to conform to the taper of the grate-bars, theprojections Z, however, being of less thickness than the projections m.When, therefore, line coal is used inthe furnace and it is desired thatthe bars should lie near together, then the narrower parts are turnedupward and lie between the grate-bars, and when the bars are to beseparated farther for the use of coarse coal then the thicker parts areturned upward.

The greatest practicable length grate-bars have been made is five feet.In long furnaces, therefore, it has been found necessary to put in twolengths of bars, allowing them to meet end to end; and therefore in suchcases it has been necessary to provide two bearing-bars for each set ofgrate-bars, one bearing-bar being at each end of the gratebars and eachbearing-bar being provided with independent teeth, which project per'-vpendicularly therefrom. By using' my separating device, however, onebearing-bar may be dispensed with, as the adjacent ends may rest uponone bearing-bar, and the lingers which extend upward at each side of thebearing-bar will extend sufficiently far from the ends of the bars tohold them separated, while if single teeth were used the contraction ofthe bars would leave them without contact, unless it were of such lengthas to interfere with the opening between the"grate bars. By the use of adouble separating tooth or nger, therefore, I am enabled to hold theends of the grate-bars in line with each other and to y dispense withthe use of vone bearing-bar and the supports which it would require, andby the projecting of the teeth at two sides of the central stem andmaking these projections of diiferent thicknesses I dispense with thenecessity of supplying an entire new set of teeth when the dist-ance ofseparation of the grate-bars is changed.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-VVV 1. In combination with a furnacegrateframe and removable bars, the reversible separating-tooth, substantiallyas shown'.

2. In a furnace-grate, the separating-teeth j, having two fingers whichproject between the grate-bars and having an intermediate stemconnecting the same, substantially as shown. 3. In a furnace-grate, theadjustable supports CZ, provided with teeth, and the supports a, havingrecesses to receive the teeth on'the part d, substantially as shown.

ALLEN WEBSTER, WILLIAM J oLLY.

INE

